


The Hunter's Revenge

by bramblerose4



Category: Generator Rex
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 16:18:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18502552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bramblerose4/pseuds/bramblerose4
Summary: While Rex continues to fight and cure EVOs he is being watched and studied by someone who shall have his revenge.





	1. Prologue

"Feel free to jump in any time, Six," Rex grunted as he slammed into the pavement, the massive claw of a winged EVO buried in his back.

"I'm a little busy at the moment, Rex." The green-clad Providence agent replied, slashing the throat of three winged EVOs with one swing of his blade. "Handle it."

"Great idea." Rex grinned as his gloved hands transformed into two gigantic metal fists. "Now, _fist_ is more like it," the teenaged weapon declared, punching the huge EVO above him in the gut. It let out a terrifying high pitched caw before it fell onto its side, releasing Rex from its grip.

"Ha, ha, nice one, kid," Bobo laughed, appearing at Rex's side.

"Thanks. Think you can keep the rest of 'em off me while I cure Big Daddy here?" Rex asked, his hands returning to normal as he retracted his nanites.

"We'll find out," Bobo promised, aiming his blasters at another EVO as it advanced on the duo. "Just make it snappy. I hate it when they sprout." The primate blasted a smaller winged EVO in flight. It crashed to the ground where it died, but not before two new EVOs burst from it's hide.

"Gotcha!" Rex wasted no time. He scrambled to his feet, and running over to the large fallen EVO, he planted his gloved hands on the creature's side. Closing his eyes, Rex concentrated on directing his nanites to take control over the infected EVO's nanites, shutting them down.

Almost instantly the large form of the winged EVO disappeared as a blinding flash of light engulfed both EVOs as Rex cured it. When the light faded Rex stood in a wide crater with the cured human knocked out at the center.

"Whoa." Rex whistled as he looked down at the former EVO. It was a child. A young girl about seven or eight lay in the fetal position, hugging herself as she shivered relentlessly. Rex took off his red and orange jacket and wrapped it around the child, gathering her up in his arms. She whimpered a few times, before settling into a more comfortable position as Rex's body heat warmed her.

"Good job, Rex," Six complimented as the tan teen climbed out of the crater. With the source of the EVO attack neutralized the other winged EVOs stopped dead, turning into dust and blowing away in the wind.

Providence's not so secret weapon grinned at the praise. "What do we do with her?" He asked, indicating to the sleeping child in his arms. "She looks like a neighborhood kid, perhaps she lives nearby?"

"At this time of day, she should be in school." Six said matter-of-factly.  
Rex scoffed. "Ever the nanny, Six." He teased.

Six arched an eyebrow at the comment.

"It's summer break." Rex pointed out.

"Day camp then," Six amended.

Rex opened his mouth to reply when Bobo interrupted them. "Hey Six, does this brat look familiar to you?" Bobo asked, hanging off a tree branch.

Six peered down at the girl in Rex's arms and both eyebrows went up. He stepped back and looked around taking a second look at their surroundings. "We're in Lincoln, aren't we?" He asked.

"Yeah, so?" Rex asked, confused that Six seemed to recognize the girl.

Six ignored him and putting a finger to his ear, clicked on his earpiece. "White," he asked and waited for confirmation. "The EVO Rex just cured; it was Ashley Thompson."

"That's what I was afraid of," Bobo gulped and climbed higher into the tree.

"Okay, hold up, what's going on? How come you two know this girl?" Rex started when a high pitched scream cut through the young EVO's questioning.

"Ashley!" A woman came racing out of nowhere toward Rex and the sleeping child. Rex noted she was barefoot and the sleeves and chest of her bloodied shirt were slashed and hung in ribbons on her body. The girl stirred at the sound of someone calling her name.

"Mommy?" She groaned, opening her eyes.

"Oh, Ashley!" The woman exclaimed, reaching for the child.

Ashley turned her head to look around.

"Mommy!"

Rex held out his arms as Ashley squirmed, eager to get to her mother. The little girl practically jumped into the woman's arms, who held her tightly as tears of relief fell down her face. "I was so worried about you."

"Did I become a monster like Daddy?" Ashley asked, resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

Her mother didn't seem to know what to say. "Yes, but you're fine now."  
"Does that mean Daddy will be fine, too?"

"No, darling. Daddy was sicker than you and wasn't able to get better." She explained.  
"Oh, is that why the men in white came and took him away?"

"Yes, it is, sweetie." The woman answered. She stroked Ashley's hair in a calming gesture. It wasn't until Ashley had fallen asleep that she finally noticed Rex. "Are you the one that did this? Changed her back?"

"Yes, ma'am," Rex replied. Something about the way she spoke made Rex told Rex he should be on his best behavior. "Hi, I'm Rex," he offered his hand in greeting.

"Providence standards must be low if they're hiring schoolboys to do their dirty work."  
Rex felt a rush of anger at her comment, especially since he had just saved Ashley even though the girl had tried her best to kill him five minutes ago. He opened his mouth to retort but fell silent when he felt the weight of a hand on his shoulder. Rex turned to Six standing beside him.

"That's unfair Samantha." He said, removing his hand. "It's because of Rex that you still have a family."

"That's more than I can say for you," Samantha said evenly.

If the comment affected Six he didn't show it, instead, he turned and spoke to Rex. "Let's go, kid, we have work to do."

A Providence vehicle arrived on the scene, the back door opening and agents in white combat gear jumped out of the back.

"Yeah, okay." Rex conceded and headed for the armored truck.

Six watched him go before looking back at Samantha. "You know the protocol, Samantha."  
"Unfortunately," Samantha said. Adjusting the sleeping girl in her arms she followed Six and Rex to the vehicle.

As they neared an agent approached them and saluted Six. "What are your orders, sir?"  
"Scan the area and make an estimate of the damage. Do what you can to clear the worse of it, then hand over the scene to the LEOs."

"And them, sir?" The agent asked, gesturing toward Samantha and Ashley.

"I'm taking Ashley and Mrs. Thompson back to Providence. They have an appointment with Dr. Holiday."

"Yes, sir."

"Have fun with the cleanup, guys! If you make it back to HQ in four hours the pizzas are on me," Bobo called, jumping onto the roof of the van.

"Ha, you don't have any money." Rex pointed out. He took a seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's okay, I picked Six's pocket," Bobo explained, jumping in the van. He turned to face Rex, a cheeky smile on his face. "I've got his credit card."

Rex grinned at the chimpanzee. "Nice.

00000

Up above on the highest roof in the residential area stood a lone figure silently watching the scene of the EVO attack. He watched as Rex entered the van and smiled. "This is going to be fun."


	2. One

When the EVO attacked in Lincoln Mark arrived as fast as he could, careful not to attract attention and searched for the tallest building in the area. He ended up standing in front of the township's only church, staring up at the bell tower.

There were two ways Mark could get to the tower. The first way would be to use the stairs that spiraled the building's insides. Mark immediately dismissed using the stairs, because it meant he would have to break into the church in order to get inside unnoticed. Besides he couldn't bear to enter the church that way, it would sully the scared house with his less than good intentions. Luckily, repairs where being made to the rain gutters and scaffolding ran along one side of the building, making it the second and Mark's only way to reach the roof.

Mark eyed the scaffolding mentally preparing for what he had to do. With a sobering grunt, Mark stepped up to the church and started climbing the scaffolding, bending and twisting his large frame thru the bars. His broad shoulders made it difficult to navigate quietly as he banged into the metal, but finally, he managed it and rested at the top of the bell tower to catch his breath. He had done it.

Mark took a moment to take in the view and was pleased with what he saw. Not far away, about four or five streets down, a hulking winged EVO circled above the trees. Mark smiled and reached into his jacket, pulling out a set of binoculars, eager to see if Providence had shown up to take the monster down.

Holding the binoculars to his eyes Mark scanned the skies, looking for the blocky white Providence airship that was sure to come. Sure enough five minutes after Mark had spotted the EVO, Providence arrived on the scene. Through the binoculars Mark saw the bay door slide open and an object free falling. He focused his attention on the object and had to suppress his joy as his target, a Hispanic teenage boy, appeared flying alongside the white airship. He soared like a helicopter straight for the EVO.

That was what he was waiting to see. Providence's ludicrous answer to the nanite infestation. A cure they call him. Mark frowned at the thought.

He allowed himself a chuckle as Rex was easily smacked by the bird-like EVO and fell out of the sky. "Looks like the cure isn't doing so hot."

He wished he could be down there fighting and destroying the EVO, making sure it wouldn't harm and infect anyone else. But that wasn't his mission, watching Rex was and Mark wasn't going to compromise it for the heat of battle. He will get his chance to fight it, and when he does it will be on his terms and his terms alone.

After the EVO had its way with Rex, Rex seemed to make his move, transforming his hands and stopped the EVO from moving. Mark smirked at the scene before him. He had watched Rex work long enough to know what was coming next. Rex would "cure" the EVO and the rest of Providence would clean up the mess left behind. A Providence truck showed up, a signal Mark had learned that Rex was leaving. Both his and Rex's mission was complete. Mark smiled as he looked after the teenager walking into the truck. "This is going to be fun." He laughed to himself, before pocketing the binoculars and making his way down the tower. He had work to do.

00000

"I believe this is yours," Agent Six said, handing Rex his jacket. "Oh, thanks," Rex said, taking it from him.

"So what's the deal with that girl and her mom?" He whispered, looking over at the mother and daughter duo. Ashley was closely cradled in her mother's arms sleeping while Samantha glared at the back of Six's head. Rex's jacket had been replaced by a bright orange blanket Rex saw EMS workers give to victims of EVO attacks.

Agent Six frowned slightly and didn't say anything. Rex thought Six hadn't heard him and was about to repeat the question when Six spoke. "They're going to have their nanites tested by Dr. Holiday." Was all he said. Rex waited for him to say more, but Six seemed to think he'd said enough and returned to the front of the van to speak to the driver.  
"Well, that was a waste of time."

"Give the kid a break," Bobo said, examining his fingernails. "The guy's been through a lot." Bobo paused his inspection to look up at Rex. "Especially with those two."

Rex was surprised to hear Bobo speak so seriously about, well anything, it only made him more curious to know the connection Six shared with the women.

"So does that mean you'll tell me what's happened?"

"Sorry, Rex. It's not my story to tell."

"Oh come on! Seriously, you're not gonna tell me?"

"Nope. Now, if you'll excuse me I have pizza to order." Bobo jumped out of his seat and searched his back pocket. "Hey, it's gone!"

"Is this what you are looking for?" Six asked stoically, holding up his credit card. He stared hard at the chimp and even though he couldn't see his eyes, Bobo clearly got the warning.

"Uh...no. I was looking for my eye-patch. There it is, on my eye." Bobo sat back down and crossed his arms over his chest.

"My mistake." Six said stoically and pocketed the card.


	3. Two

The ride back to HQ was tense. Everyone was on edge. Rex was still feeling sore over Agent Six's refusal to give him a proper answer about Samantha. Samantha continued to stare menacingly at Six while protectively holding onto her daughter. Bobo mumbled under his breath whether Holiday had a platinum or gold card as they neared Providence's HQ in North America. Not the most pleasant drives Rex had ever taken.

Rex turned round in his seat and looked out the small slitted window. Behind the thick glass of the armored truck, he could get a clear view of the white building as it slowly grew larger as the truck drove on. Judging by its current size and the fact that there was no speed limit in the desert Rex estimated they were about twenty minutes away.

Great, more time with the happiest people on Earth. Rex thought about busting out of the roof and flying the rest of the way, but he caught Six watching him and knew no matter how uncomfortable he felt now, it would be nothing compared to what Six would do to him when he got a hold of him.

Rex linked his fingers and studied them, distracting himself from staring at Ashley. What had Ashley said earlier, something about her father turning into a monster? Rex figured she meant her father had become an EVO. He wondered when it had happened and if he was working for Providence then. He doubted it since he hadn't heard the name Thompson until this afternoon.

A sense of sadness filled him as he snuck a quick look at the girl, before returning to his hands. He knew what it felt like to not have a father around. Their circumstances may be different, Ashley's father disappearing into an EVO and Rex not remembering who his parents are, but the absence of parents was the one of the most painful and dramatic experience a child (or teenager) could go through.

Rex remained uncharacteristically quiet, normally he would try to defuse the tension with a joke, but he didn't have the energy to goof off, besides he didn't think anyone would appreciate his antics even if the goal was to lighten the mood.

He sighed and looked up to the roof of the truck, and wondered if he should bust out after all.

00000

Rex felt uneasy every time he walked past the heavily guarded doors of Providence Headquarters. The feeling started whenever Rex came towards the doorframe and only lasted the second and a half it took him to step past it. The uneasiness stemmed from Rex's awareness that he was one of the few EVOs allowed to walk freely on the marble floors and didn't view the high ceilings from inside a glass and metal cage. Providence was his home, but only if he played by White Knight's rules.

Following Six and the rest of the truck's crew, Rex made his way towards the Labs, where Dr. Holiday and her staff waited for them.

"Hey Doc, you're looking lovely this evening. Did you wear your lab coat just for me? 'Cause it's not necessary; you look good in anything."

"Not now, Rex." Holiday brushed the teenager's comments away with a quick wave of her hand.

Unabashed Rex tried again. "You wanna take a look at my bio-metrics?" He offered, opening his arms and winking.

"Mm, that's not a bad idea, but I'll have to do it later." She replied, ignoring the suggestive tone in Rex's statement.

Rex frowned, defeated. Usually Holiday would lecture him about how dangerously close he was to cross the line from innocent teasing to sexual harassment when he spoke to her that way, but whenever she didn't reprimand his behavior, like she was now, Rex knew she was in complete business mode and wouldn't let anything, much less the sexist comments of a teenager, sidetrack her from the task ahead. "I want to see to the Thompsons now. Go wait for me in One. I'll be over in about an hour's time." She commanded.

"What, a whole hour? What am I supposed to do 'till then?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something to keep yourself occupied," Holiday said, distracted.

"What does that mean?" Rex groaned as he headed off to Exam One. Holiday meant Exam Room One in the Sick Bay when said for him to wait for her. It was the room where Rex usually got his check-ups, therefore the machines and laboratory equipment were already adjusted to Rex's biometrics.

He entered the room without knocking and closed it with a sigh. It had been a rough day. Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair, mindful of the goggles on his head.

"Someone's looking down."

Rex jumped and spun around, his hands transforming into metal ones as his nanites reacted defensively at his surprise.

The speaker ducked as Rex swung, his hands knocking equipment off the countertop and smashed into a glass cabinet.

"Whoa, it must have been a really bad day."

"Noah!" Rex exclaimed. His nanites retracted and his hands returned to normal.

"Hey, Rex." Noah lifted himself up using the counter for leverage, carefully avoiding the broken glass. "So, how's it going?"

"Oh, you know; another day, another EVO," Rex said with a shrug. Seeing the blond teen brought an instant smile to his face. "Sorry about the freak-out." Rex apologized. He bent down and started picking up shards of glass.

"Hold on, I think there's a broom over here." Noah searched the room as Rex picked up the larger pieces of glass. He returned with a hand broom and a small dustpan. "It beats using your hands." Noah reasoned, giving them to Rex.

Bringing the wastebasket closer to Rex, Noah crouched beside him and began picking up lab equipment.

"Thanks."

"No problem," Noah said, reshelving a computer screen on a countertop. "So, what's gotten you so jumpy?"

Rex shook his head. "I just wish this day would end." He answered vaguely, sweeping the glass shards into the dustpan with more concentration than the task required.

Though Rex couldn't see it he knew Noah was giving him a sympathetic look by the soft tone in his voice when he asked. "You wanna talk about it?"

Rex nodded and emptied the last of the glass in the wastebasket.

Placing the final piece of fallen lab equipment on a dissection table Noah sat down on the side of the examination table in the center of the Exam One and motioned for Rex to sit next to him.

They sat side by side, Rex pushed his goggles down so they hung around his neck and raked a gloved hand through his hair. "You know I just got back from bringing down an EVO in Nebraska, right?"

"Yeah."

"But what you don't know is the EVO I fought was a kid. A little girl named Ashley Thompson, who was probably in her backyard having a tea party with her dolls until she sprouted wings and started trashing her neighborhood. And I know it's not Ashley's fault, but-" he growled his frustration. "I don't know, there's something about it that's bothering me."

"You wish she hadn't been so young," Noah said.

Rex hung his head and exhaled. As usual, Noah had understood what he was feeling better than anyone.

"You shouldn't worry about it. You did your job, Rex. You can't know when someone's going to change or how they're going to behave."

"It would help." Rex interrupted.

"Wow, you're really determined to be in a bad mood." Noah lightly chastised, bumping Rex in the shoulder with his elbow.

"I'm allowed." Rex shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest.

"If you need an ego boost, fine. I'll give you one." Noah said, angling himself so he could face the taller teen. "Everyday you're out there helping people when they can't help themselves. Everyone knows their nanites could go berserk at any moment, and that scares them. But you give people hope. They know if they turn into a giant wrecking machine you'll be there, protecting innocent people, and returning the infected to normal."

"Most of them anyway." Rex clarified.

"Everyone has a flaw," Noah teased with a smile.

"You make me sound like some selfless hero. I'm just doing my job."

"You don't know what a relief it is for me to know that someone like you exists." Noah grew quiet for a moment, before he laid a hand on his heart, right where Van Kleiss had touched him when he turned him into an EVO only weeks ago.

It seemed to Rex that Noah hadn't realized what he'd done and there was a faraway look on his face when he continued. "Building machines and curing EVOs may be what makes you an EVO, but using them to keep people safe is what makes you special."

Rex wasn't sure what he should say in response to Noah's words. He was touched and felt a great wave of gratitude towards Noah, and even if he didn't know how to express it in so many words he knew he could always show Noah.

Before he could think better about it, Rex reached forward and gingerly placed a gloved hand over Noah's. "Thank you, Noah," he said sincerely, staring into the older teen's eyes.

"You're welcome," the blond insisted, a blush forming on his cheeks.

The precious moment was broken by a rough knock on the door. The two teens pulled apart just as it opened and a man with short brown hair, wearing a lab coat and carrying a large leather bag stuck his head in.

"Good, you're still here." He said relieved as he walked in.

"Hey, Kev." Rex greeted, feeling more like himself. "I guess this means Holiday's not coming?"

Kevin nodded. "Looks like you'll have to settle for me. But don't worry, I'm just as good looking," He joked, a confident grin on his face.

"Yeah, maybe but you're not my type: not enough curves." Rex held up his hands and shook his head.

"But just as brilliant."

"No arguments there, just don't tell Doc Holiday I said that."

"My lips are sealed." Kevin laughed. It was a pleasant sound. "And you are," He prompted, extending his hand to Noah.

Noah seemed transfixed by the newcomer. "I'm, uh, Noah."

"Ah, so you're Noah. I've seen you around HQ before. I'm Dr. Kevin Stevenson."

They shook hands and Kevin smiled warmly at the older teen. Rex felt a small pain in his stomach as he watched the two men meet. It was as though someone had poked him roughly in the gut and he didn't like it. He also wasn't too fond of the way Kevin looked at Noah as he introduced himself, and decided he liked the doctor a little less for it.

"Okay, Rex let's get started. Take off your jacket while I prepare the scanner." Kevin instructed as he unzipped his leather bag.

"I'll just...wait outside," Noah said, gesturing towards the door.

"You don't have to. I don't mind." Rex interjected. "This shouldn't take very long. Stay and keep me company?"

"Besides, you want to become a Providence Agent, right? Maybe you'd like to see how this works." Kevin suggested, holding up a handheld device.

"How did you know I was thinking about joining Provi-" Noah cut off when he saw Rex waving his guilt and sighed. "Nevermind, it sounds like a great idea Dr. Stevenson."

"Excellent. Take a seat right here Noah, and please, call me Kevin."

Rex felt poked again as Noah sat on the extra chair next to Kevin, and turned around to remove his jacket so he could collect his thoughts. Rex didn't know what was wrong with him. Noah was his own man and could make friends with anyone he pleased. What was he, Rex, feeling so odd for? It wasn't as if he was being replaced by Kevin, Noah had just met him, it was crazy to think he would do such a thing like replacing Rex with a practical stranger. Rex knew he shouldn't feel threatened by Dr. Stevenson, but he did.

When he turned back around Noah was curiously studying the weird looking instrument in the physician's hands. It was white and about the size and thickness of hardcover novel with many buttons and three antennae sticking out its top.

"What exactly is it, and what is it supposed to do?" Noah asked.

"It's a PNS; a Portable Nanite Scanner, my own design. And it does just what you think; records and simulates the chaotic influx of nano-activity when an organism turns into an EVO. This little guy makes collecting and processing readings faster and easier than the big scanner which can't leave the Base and is often used hours, sometimes days after the infected nanites are stabilized or shut down completely, giving us scientists incomplete data. Now, once I perfect it, I'll show the higher-ups what it can do and get permission to use it in the field. That will allow me to collect data in real time painting a more accurate portrait so we can understand what triggers nanites into mutating their host, and ultimately discover how to neutralize those triggers."

"So you're not only looking for a cure, but also a vaccine." Noah summarized.

"Exactly." Kevin grinned, pleased Noah had understood his lengthy explanation. "This is a game changer."


	4. Three

Noah had grown quiet again, which made Rex flush with nerves. He felt his good mood drain as he looked at Noah. His blond friend was facing the PNS as Kevin tuned the device, but his eyes were slanted and focused on Rex. The Hispanic teen returned the look. The two friends held each other's gaze, trying to silently communicate their thoughts.

Kevin seemed oblivious to the true significance of Noah's silence. To him, Noah's sudden speechlessness meant the teenaged blond was highly impressed by the PNS, but Rex was apprehensive, he knew better.

A quiet Noah was an angry Noah.

But Rex knew. A hollering, stomping, pissed off rampaging Noah came out when he was frustrated and needed to vent that frustration, but a quiet Noah? A quiet Noah was dangerous.

Rex had only seen Noah truly upset twice before and both times he wished he had been fighting mucus spitting EVO bugs than getting hit with the blunt force that was an enraged Noah.

He could handle a pissed off Noah, all he had to do was make Noah laugh with a dirty joke or with some physical humor and all would be forgiven, but an irate Noah had to be treated with more care than Rex currently possessed.

Rex didn't have the energy to deal with Noah's anger but he knew he needed to find the root cause of it if they were going to have any fun hanging out together.

Rex didn't have a plan for angry Noah. Up until now he just let the blond stew in his rage until he ranted and raved about what was bothering him. At least then Rex would know what he had done wrong. Because he knew that Noah wasn't just angry, he was angry at Rex.

He barely heard Kevin's voice instructing him to lay flat so he could start running the scanner over him; head to toe. Rex lay on his back and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander.

He heard Noah shifting his weight in his chair, followed by a short, impatient sigh. Rex opened one eye partially, enough to peek at his friend. Noah's mouth was turned down and his legs and arms were crossed, closing himself off from anything else but his raging thoughts. Rex looked up at the shorter teen, flabbergasted. Noah couldn't be upset about the Portable Nanite Scanner, could he? No, there had to be something more to it, Noah didn't get angry easily and for no reason.

Noah's indignation was contagious and soon Rex felt his annoyance grow until he felt as awful as he had in the truck with Ashley and Samantha.

Rex's eyes snapped open at the same time as his mouth. "What's going to happen to Ashley and her mother?" He asked, craning his neck to search for the scientist.

Kevin stood in front of Rex's left knee, paying close attention to the Portable Nanite Scanner. "You mean the Thompson's?" He asked without looking up from his work. He didn't wait for Rex to answer his rhetorical question and continued. "Nothing, so far as I know. Their bodies scanned to make sure the nanites are completely inactive and after a load of paperwork, they will be released. Head down, please." He coaxed Rex's head back onto the table with a gentle push of his fingers on the teen's forehead.

Rex relented and stared straight at the ceiling, listening to the scanner beep, the sound loud near his head, but grew faint as it went from his head down his body.

He heard Noah shift again and Rex moved his gaze so he could catch the blond's eyes, but Noah's line of sight was on Rex's mid-section. Rex was tempted to say something, but what could he possibly say? He settled on saying nothing, choosing to stare at the blond instead.

Noah's eyes traveled up Rex's stomach to his chest making Rex feel hot and suddenly highly self-conscious.

"Is something wrong, Rex?" Kevin asked somewhere near his ankle.

"What?" Rex blinked and tearing his eyes from Noah and raising his head slightly.

"Your heart rate's increased. Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah," he nodded and took a deep breath. Closing his eyes he exhaled and rested his head on the table again. "I'm fine." He insisted, refusing to look at anything but the backs of his eyelids until Dr. Stevenson released him.

00000

"Did you know about the PNS?" Noah demanded.

Rex huffed and didn't say anything. He expected this, was waiting for it. Finally, he was going to figure out what was bothering Noah.

At least the blond had waited until they were alone in Rex's quarters before he started yelling, though Rex suspected the privacy was more for Noah's benefit than his own.

"Did you?" Noah repeated.

"I knew Dr. Stevenson was developing a nanite reader for the EVO on-the-go, but I didn't know how far he'd come in making it, or that it could provide a vaccine," he answered honestly and shrugged his shoulders.

"And you just chose not to tell me about it?"

"What's there to tell? I thought it was just a normal scanner, only smaller, all right?" Rex felt his own temper raising to meet Noah's and with it, his tact. "How come you're so pissed off? Aren't you excited at how awesome the PNS is? I know I am. To be able to detect who will turn EVO and when once Kevin perfects it. Isn't this the answer we were just talking about? The PNS is going to make my job easier, which means missions will end sooner, and I'll have more time to hang with you." Rex said, gesturing at Noah.

Noah's neck reddened and he swallowed. "You swear you didn't know?"

"Of course I didn't know. Do you honestly think I could keep something that huge from you? Not all of us lie about our secrets, you know."

Rex instantly felt ashamed of himself as he said the words. Bringing up Noah's betrayal was a low blow and he knew it.

Noah looked at him, his expression was unreadable. "Yes, I do," he answered slowly.

"Noah, I'm sorry," Rex said, not quite sure why he was the one apologizing when it had been Noah who had hurt him.

There was a tense moment between the boys when Rex thought his day had officially become the worst day he could remember, when Noah exhaled sharply, taking all the tension with it.

"Okay then," he squared his shoulders and did what all men do when at a loss; he changed the subject. "What do you wanna do now?"

Rex grinned, relieved that they were on decent terms again if not good ones. "Hoops at the usual place?" he suggested.

Noah shook his head. "It'll have to be somewhere else. The court in the park is being repaired."

"Still? I thought it was fixed."

"It was, until a certain EVO and his bunny friend destroyed it, again."

"Oh yeah," Rex replied, looking up at the memory. "That did happen last week. Man, I really hate bunnies." Rex claimed, rubbing the heel of his hand into his eye.

"The feeling's mutual." Noah teased his tone not completely friendly.

Rex inwardly winced. So, Noah hadn't completely forgiven him yet. He opened his mouth to suggest another basketball court when his stomach gurgled, making an odd gurgle in his throat.

Noah laughed and gave him a more natural grin. "You wanna grab a bite?"

Rex closed his mouth and nodded.

00000

The sky was a mix of oranges, pinks, and violets when Noah and Rex made it to. Noah's jeep. The gray 1998 Jeep Cherokee was parked in its usual place near the exit of the visitor parking structure.

"Shotgun!" Rex shouted as he sprinted towards the truck and hopped into the front seat.

He saw Noah roll his eyes as he pulled out his keys and sat on the driver's seat.

"Doesn't White Knight prefer you on a tight leash? How'd you manage for us to sneak out the front door?"

"I have my ways," Rex winked and crossed his leg over the other.

"They're tracking us, aren't they?"

"Yup," Rex replied with a laugh.

Noah rolled his eyes again and buckled his security belt. After quickly checking his mirrors, he started the jeep. It roared to life, the radio blaring rock music. Rather than turn the music down to speak Noah just raised his voice.

"So, where to?" He yelled.

Rex replied in kind. Placing a gloved hand over his stomach and looked up thoughtfully. "Hmm, feels like a burger-sized hole." He shouted back.

"The Shack?"

Rex gave Noah two thumbs up and a bright smile.

"The Shack it is." Noah switched gears and exited the parking lot, heading for their favorite hang out.

The two friends drove the twelve miles to the main road, listening to the loud music thumping in their ears and their appetites whetted for the best fast food in the county.

Rex placed his hands on the back of his head and leaned back. This ride was much more fun than the last one. He was going to enjoy every moment he could with Noah. If there was one thing his years working for Providence has taught him it was even though the good times felt they will last, they rarely do. Something always manages to get in the way. Rex didn't know how long this good time would last so he planned to relish every moment.

They made it The Snack Shack in record time. There were a few patrons about, eating red baskets full of greasy food on the tables outside. They ignored Rex and Noah as they approached the restaurant. Rex inhaled deeply loving the smell of frenched fries and suspiciously prepared meat.

He wondered if he should get the big combo or the super combo when he jerked up in surprise as he felt a sharp sting on his neck. "Ah, what the fu-" He slapped the back of his neck and felt something stuck in it. He pulled it out and examined it. His eyes widened in fear.

"Noah?"

"Yeah?" the blond responded, turning to face his friend.

"Run." Was all the warning the teen EVO gave as his nanites activated, causing his Smack Hand to form.

"Rex what are you doing? Put those away. You're freaking people out." Noah reached out to hide Rex's transformation.

"Urgh...'t..." Rex gritted with effort as he fought for control of his body. He swung wildly hitting some of the tables outside. Thankfully they were unoccupied and the only things damaged were the tables themselves pulling him off balance.

He heard screaming and chairs being thrown back as people fled the area. He pushed Noah away from him and tried to run in the opposite direction of the crowd when his Legs built themselves and he jumped 50 feet in the air then his nanites retracted in mid-air and he free fell, crashing hard into the earth.

Pain bloomed as in his head and back he lay in a small crater, twitching and groaning on the ground as electrical sparks discharged from him.

"Rex." He heard his name being called and was able to turn his head towards the sound. Noah stood nearby, his hand shielding his eyes from the bright flashing light off of Rex's body. He was inching his way towards Rex. Fear shot through Rex.

"Noah. Run." He managed.

"No, I'm not leaving you."

Rex placed a gloved hand in his ear and with a shaky movement took out his communicator. "Call...Six." He instructed, tossing the comm link before his head jerked back violently and he screamed.

00000

Noah grabbed the link and placed it in his ear, ignoring the gritty sensation he felt from the dirt and sand that caked it. He tapped it like he had seen Rex do hundreds of times before and heard a click as the channel was opened.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" He shouted.

"Go ahead, Rex."

"Six!" He shouted.

"Noah? What are you doing with Rex's comm link?" The green-clad agent asked. Noah could detect concern and confusion in the older man's tone.

"Something's wrong with Rex," Noah explained. "His nanites are going berserk. It's like they're taking control like he's going EVO, but he can't be right, can it?"

"Is he still able to speak?"

"Sorta, is that good?"

Six didn't reply. "Where are you?"

Noah didn't think twice as he answered. "The Snack Shack."

"Okay. Make sure no one gets hurt, that includes you. Stay hidden. I'm on my way."

"Just hurry!" Noah pleaded weakly, running for cover behind the restaurant as Rex transformed again.


	5. Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how combat operations are formed or the correct jargon used to explain them via radio transmissions. So I have made it up to suit my purposes. I apologize for any and all mistakes and abuses made in that regard. Thank you for reading. Enjoy!

Following Six's instructions to check that no one else was in the immediate vicinity Noah dared to look out from his hiding place behind the restaurant. His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the area. It didn't look like anyone was still around, but Noah couldn't be sure, it was getting harder for him to see through the lightning storm radiating from his friend.

Noah focused his attention back to Rex as the hair on his arms and legs started standing on end as the electricity increased around the EVO. He watched with haggard breath as Rex's arms sprouted two electric blue bladed axes, burying themselves into the pavement.

Rex roared in anger, trying to remove the blades.

Noah flinched and ducked back to the safety of the brick wall. Where the Hell was Six? He thought, his heart pounded rapidly in his chest and his head buzzed with questions while he took in his surroundings; what was happening to Rex, would he be okay, could Providence even stop him? He took several deep breaths to compose himself. He knew one thing for sure if Providence didn't get here soon things were going to get worse, a lot worse.

As if they were summoned by an unseen cue Noah heard the familiar, and welcomed, grinding sound of a Providence airship rapidly approaching. No sooner had he heard the airship that he could see the stark white plane descending from the darkening sky like a gift from Heaven.

Noah stayed hidden unsure of what to do next, he watched as cables were thrown down and a dozen Providence agents were lowered to the ground. Their backs were to him as they concentrated on Rex's electrical storm. They circled Rex, each agent pausing after a certain amount of steps, careful to keep their distance from Rex.

Noah immediately recognized that they were forming a perimeter around the crater Rex had created. He remembered practicing this very same drill in Team Exercises from his time in Basic Training. It was one of the first things his Drill Sergeant had taught him. They formed a boundary to cut off an EVOs escape route. It was an odd scene, witnessing Providence agents deploy those same tactics Noah had enacted himself, though at the time he never suspected they would be used against Rex.

"Noah!"

The blond jumped and spun around his hand raised to strike. There was pressure on his hand as Six easily blocked his blow by grabbing Noah's wrist

"Ow. Jeez, Six. You really shouldn't sneak up on people."

Six ignored his suggestion. "What happened?" He demanded, letting him go.

"I don't know. We were getting food one moment and the next Rex turned into the world's biggest bug zapper. He gave me his commlink and told me to call you."

"How'd you leave HQ without setting off the alarms?"

"We went out through the garage."

"Who authorized that?"

"I don't know. I thought you did." Noah gestured to Six, which made something clicked in his mind. "What a minute, when I called you, you asked me where we were, why is that?"

Six seemed surprised by the question. "I needed to know where to go."

"But Rex said the only reason he was able to leave was because he was being tracked."

Six shook his head. "Not by me. Perhaps, Doctor-" Six was cut off by the sound of Rex screaming. His voice sounded distorted and metallic as if he were listening to him over a telephone line that was cutting in and out. Noah shivered as he watched his friend disappear into a monster in front of him.

"You don't think," Noah paused as his mouth tried to catch up with his thoughts. "You don't think he was tricked?"

The two men shared a look.

"We'll finish this later," Six said.

Noah hoped he meant their conversation. Providence needed to act fast or... Noah couldn't bring himself to finish the thought. Six tore his gaze away from Rex and looked around. What for, Noah wasn't sure, but followed the Providence Agent's eyes as best he could through his shades.

Noah gasped as Six grabbed his upper arms.

"Get behind me and no matter what happens still hidden."

Noah nodded mutely and trailed Six as the top agent sprinted from the restaurant across the parking lot to the vacant plot nearby. Six was really fast, and even with all the conditioning he received Noah had a hard time

Noah stopped mid-stride when he heard Rex howl in pain and remove the blades from the concrete floor, as he regained his footing.

"Rex..."

"Will be fine." Six grabbed Noah by the forearm again and Noah allowed himself to be lead by Six, letting the older man take control of him.

"Noah, focus."

Noah felt a ribbon of shock, as he turned his attention back to Six. There, in the short grass was Six's personal fighter jet. He had assumed Six had flown with the other Providence Field Agents, not in his personal jet. His shock was short lived as Six opened the hatch. A hiss of air escaped and Noah looked in, trying not to look as impressed as he felt at the hi-tech layout of the jet's console.

Six's gruff voice next to him caught Noah's attention.

"Get in and stay down."

Wordlessly Noah scrambled into the pilot's seat, twisting his body around so he could face Six.

"Open the glove box and hand me what's inside."

Noah ran his hands above the console trying to figure out which button would open the correct compartment.

"Which one-"

"Third button on the right," Six snapped.

Noah pressed it and heard a click as the glovebox unlocked and fell open. He plunged his hands inside. Goose flesh rose on his arms and back at the spongy texture he felt, he winced then laughed as he pulled out a pair of thick rubber gloves.

"You actually keep gloves in the glove compartment?" Noah asked incredulously, handing them over to Six.

"Where else would I keep them?" He replied, showing he used them quite a bit by swiftly pulling them on without looking at them. "Now, remember what I said."

"Uh, stay down?"

Six gave Noah a curt nod and hopped off the side of the jet.

00000

Mark sprinted to the largest Providence airship wanting to shout and sing and laugh as he watched Providence fail to control their EVO pet.

His plan was going better than he dreamed it could. It was almost too easy he was surprised more Providence malcontents hadn't done it. Granted the first step was the most difficult, but once he had contracted a spy inside Providence Mark acquired detailed accounts of his target's movements and habits, which Mark himself had verified with his own research before continuing to the next step in his plan.

It was a simple, but delicate step; inject Rex with a high dosage of epinephrine. In normal humans, epinephrine, commonly known as adrenaline, increases heart and respiratory rates providing the energy for the fight or flight response when humans are under stress, but in EVOs is stimulates their infected nanites by enhancing the nanite activity into overdrive, producing massive amounts of kinetic energy.

And everybody knows that kinetic energy has to go somewhere; it appeared Rex was releasing his energy by emitting it as electricity.

Mark was also feeling a heightened sense, but he was due to endorphins responding to his excitement rather than the fear induced by epinephrine. Mark allowed himself a chuckle. It wouldn't be long now before Providence will have to use their more drastic measures in order to resolve the situation, he thought gleefully. All Mark had to do was push the stakes higher.

With a short jump, he easily entered the airship. There was no one around to accost him, everyone had gone outside to fight the EVO pest, Mark had the ship to himself.

He grinned and looked around. The bay was very bright, the whole plane was bathed in light and predictably painted white. The walls were a cascade of monitors and equipment. Mark ignored them and headed to the rear of the ship. According to his intel, there were spare Providence uniforms in SN9, or Storage Niche Number 9. Each storage unit was the height and width of a high school locker, at least to Mark that's what they looked like, though he hadn't been to school in years. They were labeled with large block lettering in black paint, making them easy to read even he was in dim light, which Mark suspected didn't happen often.

Mark jogged past SN3 and SN4 scanning each label, his heart rate increasing as he got closer to the niche had wanted.

SN5

SN6

SN7

SN8

SN9

Joy coursed through him as he punched in the security code and the door automatically opened before him.

He pulled out the first white suit he saw and began to strip off his clothes.

He was going to make Providence do the work for him.

00000

Noah crouched as low as he could in the pilot's seat without blocking his view of the scene. With the darker shading of the hatch's glass Noah was able to see Rex better, though his new vantage point was almost pointless since the scene hadn't changed, Rex was still glowing light blue and sparking, still surrounded by Providence Agents hesitant to approach him. With good reason, Noah thought. His EVO friend was keeping the agents on their highest guard, whenever they got too close to him a spark of light would strike out and hit the nearest metallic object it could find, which more often than not was a piece of equipment on the Agents field uniform, including their headgear. More than one agent had gone down before the others learned to keep their distance.

A slight movement in the corner of his eye jarred his focus away from Rex. He lowered his head and squinted, leaning forward unconsciously until his head hit the glass as he tried to make out what it was that had caught his attention. Fortunately, there was a sudden flash of light, illuminating the field which allowed Noah to clearly see Six approaching the perimeter. The highly trained agent demonstrating his skill as a hunter by staying low to the ground as he neared Rex.

The throbbing burn in his throat and chest and spots dancing in front of him warned Noah he was holding his breath and forced himself to exhale. The spots cleared instantly and the pain in his throat vanished. He swore loudly as the image of Six was obscured by the heat of his breath on glass and he quickly wiped away the condensation with an agitated hand. He was too eager to wait the few seconds it would take for the precipitation to dry up and fade away on its own. When he returned his attention to the crater Noah's breath hitched without his permission or knowledge as he spotted another Providence Agent getting too close Rex.

Noah couldn't help the fear pounding in him as he pressed a hand on the glass. "Rex stop!" He shouted as loud as he could.

He knew it was highly unlikely Rex heard him, even if the bulletproof glass wasn't also soundproof, there was a lot of activity going on, easily drowning out any pleas or warnings Noah could cry out. Even knowing how pointless it would be didn't stop Noah from acting as though his friend could hear him, but had chosen to ignore him, rather than being out of control of his actions.

"Rex, I swear if you hurt anyone you're going to regret it for the rest of your life. I'll make sure of it!"

Then suddenly it was like he was watching a movie, everything went in slow motion as Rex spun on his heel, turning to face the nearing Providence Agent, a bolt of lightning forming around his arm.

"Rex!"

Slowly Rex raised his arm, the lightning growing larger and brighter as Rex targeted the agent. His wrist flicked like he was summoning the agent to him and the electricity discharged, heading straight for him. And then Six intervened, his steel knives drawn out instantly attracting the deadly light.

Guess, that's why he wanted the gloves, Noah thought stunned. A sudden wave of pride crashed over him as he watched Six redirect the lightning so it flashed harmlessly into the air.

At least, Noah hoped so.

Normally when Providence gets involved in an EVO incident all traffic, whether the traffic was in the water, on land, or in the sky, gets diverted as a safety precaution. Noah vaguely wondered if there had been enough time for White Knight to organize or delegate, or do whatever it was he does in that blinding room of his, a temporary no-fly zone over the area. He checked his watch, surprised to find that it had been twenty minutes since he and Rex had stopped here for a burger, and just barely over an hour since they left Providence HQ.

And now look at us, Noah thought with a frown. He pushed his hair out of his eyes and behind his ear only to flinch and cry out as feedback from Rex's commlink went off in his ear.

He pulled it out and stared at it, despite having told Six that Rex had given him the link, Noah had forgotten he still had it. He waited until the feedback stopped before holding it to his ear, but not actually in his ear. He was hesitant to have the high pitched signal pierce him again, but was eager to listen to the Providence communications. In the end, his curiosity won over his caution and Noah stuffed the link back into his ear.

It would be a decision he would be grateful for.

00000

It's official, white has got to be the worst color for a uniform ever, Mark decided, admiring his reflection in a dark monitor screen. He barely recognized himself, the ill-fitting uniform made him look like every other Providence Agent, which was the point, after all, to become another clog in Providence's machine.

He stuffed his clothes into the utility bag that never left his side and moved away from storage back to the middle of the plane. His next objective was to get a radio and for that, he needed to go to the Communications Center. Funnily enough, the communications were located in the center of the ship.

"Providence humor," Mark commented with a roll of his eyes.

Mark took a deep breath and held it for as long as he could. Just before he passed out he exhaled and held his breath again, this time jumping up and down and breathing through his nose. He repeated this process twice more before he achieved the effect he wanted. Panting heavily and throat rough and burning Mark reached for the radio and turned it on.

00000

Noah could not stop the panic setting in him as he listened to the frantic transmittance between Providence HQ and an agent.

"Red Bird to HQ. This is Agent Davidson. Acknowledge. Over."

"HQ to Red Bird. Davidson acknowledged. Over."

"Are you seeing this? He's out of control. We need back up now!"

"Negative. Unable to send reinforcements. The readings are spiking too rapidly for deployment to be any use. If a solution isn't reached at 17:50 Zulu Protocol Zeta will be activated."

Noah went cold. Protocol Zeta-3 was one of the Last Resort Protocols Providence had in their arsenal to fight EVOs. It was effectively a nuclear bomb to wipe out all life forms in the blast radius. One of the first stories Rex told him when they became friends was how he and Six once stopped Providence from using Zeta-3 on a mission to lower Manhattan. Noah hoped Six was able to do it again because it would be 5:50 PM in thirteen minutes.


	6. Five

"Six to HQ. Requesting immediate EVAC in Sector 23."

"Roger that, Agent Six. Evac is on the way. ETA; 2 minutes with Protocol Zeta prepped and ready in ten."

"HQ; confirm the order."

"ETA of Evac 2 minutes. Zeta is prepped and is ready to launch."

"Negative. Do not activate Zeta. We have a civilian still on the ground. I repeat: do not activate Zeta. We have a civilian on the ground."

Noah stared at the jet console. He had to act quickly. He clicked on the earpiece, unsure what to say, but determined to have his voice heard. "Six, they aren't serious?" He asked. "Do they honestly think destroying Rex is the only way to stop him?"

"Noah," Was all he said. Noah had been around the man long enough to know Six believed that was exactly what HQ thought.

"No." Noah pulled out the earpiece and tossed it onto the console as he searched for anything that could help him. He refused to accept the only way to stop Rex was to kill him. There had to be a better way and he swore to himself he would find it. Noah's eyes lit up in desperate hope as he opened a side compartment, he had found a better way. With a grin he pulled off his coat and watch, leaving anything metallic in a neat pile in the jet before reaching into the compartment and opening the hatch.

The smell of burning rubber and metal greeted him as Noah climbed out of the jet. The heat had increased as well making sweat appear all over his body, causing his shirt to stick to him in the static humidity.

He shouted Rex's name as he ran toward him, gaining the teen's attention. The electrified EVO turned and Noah knew he was nearing the No Man's Land Rex had established, knew if he crossed it Rex would attack. Noah stopped short of the threshold, reached into his pocket and took out a grenade. Ignoring the Providence Agents protests Noah pulled the pin out, deactivating the grenade's safety and threw it high into the air. Everyone watched memorized as the grenade arched, reached its zenith over Rex and started falling back to Earth. Halfway down it burst open, raining white foam into the crater, dousing Rex in carbon dioxide.

Several agents had run away from the live grenade and fallen to the ground, flattening themselves as it went off. They now looked up in confusion and relief at an extinguished Rex. The electricity surrounding him sputtered but didn't go out. Noah threw two more extinguishing grenades hoping to drench Rex in the fire retardant foam before he had the chance to ignite again. They didn't land as close to Rex as Noah would have liked, but it was enough to complete the job, the electricity disappeared and his Battle Axes disintegrated into small pieces of scrap metal at Rex's feet.

The fight seemed to go out of Rex and he fell to his knees in the scrap-foam pile. Noah slid into the crater, slipping a few times in the mess before he reached his friend.

"Rex?" He questioned.

A small moan escaped the Hispanic teen.

"Rex, it's alright. Can you stand?" Noah crouched to meet his friend. Rex didn't answer. Noah moved to help the EVO when Rex's hands shoot out, clamping tightly around Noah's neck.

Noah beat against Rex's arms. "Six." He managed to say weakly.

The Sixth Deadliest Person on the planet was in the pit in a blink.

"Sorry Partner." Six apologized as he raised his hand and brought the side of his palm down on the back of Rex's neck, effectively rendering the younger teen unconscious.

Rex landed face first in scrap metal, his hands still wrapped around Noah. Six carefully pried his hands away from Noah's neck and moving the blond away from Rex. Six turned back his partner and was immediately on his commlink, shutting down the operation.

Noah knew it would take more than a small knock to the head to keep Rex down for long, but hopefully, it would give Providence time to properly contain him until they got to HQ.

He'd let Providence take over from here. He clawed his way out of the hole; two agents hoisted him out when he neared ground level. He thanked them and staggered over to The Shack. The fast-food restaurant had held up well and was still structurally sound, which Noah was grateful for. He needed a short moment to himself before returning to the chaos outside.

He found an overturned chair, righted it and sat down. With a tender hand, he gently probed his sore neck. Besides the bruise he felt forming, there didn't seem to any lasting damage. He released the breath he hadn't noticed he was holding when it was knocked out of him again as a Providence Agent covered him with a fire blanket, knocking them both to the ground with the agent landing on top of him. Noah tried to struggle but somehow ended up even more entangled. "I'm all right. Get off me."

"Oh, you're far from all right, Blondie. That was a risky move you made back there."

Something in the man's voice told Noah that whoever was straddling him wasn't pleased with his heroics. It was almost as if he wanted Providence to kill Rex. The thought made him cold. The fire blanket covered his body, trapping him inside. Noah couldn't see anything cocooned within the blanket, but he could hear just fine, which also meant he could be heard.

"Help!" He yelled as loud as he could manage and continued fighting to get free.

He felt lighter as the man's weight shifted. "Don't think this is the end." His attacker said. Pain spread over his scalp as the back of Noah's head was grabbed and banged it hard against the ground.

"Later Blondie." Was the last thing Noah heard before he passed out.


	7. Six

Rex woke to the lazy sound of mechanical beeping. It took him a moment to orientate himself. He opened his eyes, only to close them against the harsh white light that blinded him. He tried to raise his hand to shield his eyes, but couldn't move his arms above a few inches. He arched his neck to look down on himself. He was lying on his back, his limps strapped down to a hospital cot.

His head pounded against his skull and his mouth was dry. Panic started to rise within him and he began struggling against his restraints. The beeping from the machines started to increase, growing into an urgent pitch as Rex tried to break free.

Rex turned his head to the side at the familiar sound of air pressure releasing as a metal door slid to the side. Dr. Holiday jogged in and headed straight for the loud machines. Rex stopped thrashing and watched the doctor's eyes scan over the screen before turning a dial. The beeping didn't stop, but it wasn't as loud now.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Doc," Rex groaned. His throat felt dry and he swallowed thickly.

She seemed satisfied with his answer. "Do you know where you are?"

"How…what…" he started to ask slowly.

"Do you know where you are?" She repeated.

Rex nodded. "Medical Ward in Provi-" Rex stuttered before he began coughing.

"Hold on, Rex. Take it easy." She instructed. Holiday pushed a button on the side of the bed and the top half started to inch forward, allowing Rex to sit up. Next, she reached for the pitcher of water on the side table near the head of the cot and filled a tall paper cup and added a straw. "Drink," she instructed, holding the straw to his lips so he could drink his fill.

He drank two and a half cups before the pounding in his head eased up.

"How are you feeling?" Holiday asked when Rex refused the third refill.

"Tied down," Rex replied, managing a grin.

"Sorry, but we had to make sure that you still weren't a threat."

"Still a threat?" He repeated. "What happened?"

"I'm not entirely sure...after you were discharged by Kevin you and Noah disappeared. Not long after we got an Omega Evo Alert and Six got called into the field and were he found you..."

"But how do I lose control?"

"I don't know."

"But you have a theory?"

The brilliant doctor nodded. "One of the Agents found this during clean up." She held up a plastic evidence bag for Rex to inspect. Inside was a small empty syringe. "This syringe matches the needle we found embedded in your neck. I've sent a sample of it to the lab to find out what you were injected with. I'm just waiting for the results."

"What do you think it was?"

"My guess, someone pumped you full of unstable nanites."

"Why?"

"Don't know." The doctor repeated and shook her head. "Perhaps whoever did this wanted to get Providence's attention, or maybe just yours. All I know is if Noah hadn't found a way to stop you," she let her voice trail off in a meaningful way.

"Noah's was there and he stopped me? Is he okay?"

Holiday smiled at the teen with knowing affection. "Yes, his fine. I'm more worried about you. I was hoping to learn more about what happened but you don't seem to remember and you've been asleep for over twenty-four hours."

"A whole day?" Rex tried to focus on Holiday's face, but the white of her lab coat stung his eyes and he turned away, blinking rapidly. "I…I don't know. I just can't remember."

Holiday brows knitted close together in concern. "Try to think of sounds and smells or how you felt."

"I remember being hungry." Rex frowned and tried to kick in frustration. "Doc, can you take these off me?" he asked, shifting in the leather straps binding his body to the bed.

"Sure," Holiday walked around to the opposite side of the hospital cot and started unstrapping the restraints from Rex.

"Ah, that's much better." Rex sighed, rubbing his wrists. He reached for the pitcher and drank the rest of the water.

Holiday held out her hand and Rex gave her the pitcher. He watched as she went over to refill it in a sink nearby. He drank another pitcher full and sighed, satisfied.

"So what's the deal, Holiday?"

"You're stable for now, but you need to rest as much as possible. I want to keep you here for observation for a few days, maybe staying in one environment may help you remember, and perhaps writing it down." She said producing his journal from the top drawer of the side table.

Rex snatched the book from her, his eye wide. "Sure, thanks," he said, stuffing the journal under the pillow. "You didn't read it, did you?"

"No," Holiday promised, shaking her head. "I understand that a growing boy needs his privacy."

Rex visibly relaxed, his shoulders sagging as he leaned back onto the bed.

"I'll send food in an hour, try to sleep until then."

"Thanks, Doc." Rex turned onto his side and tried to get comfortable, suddenly feeling extremely tried.

Holiday tuned the machines back up and once again the room filled with the sound of beeping as the EVO drifted off to sleep.

00000

"Stupid fucking blond bastard," Mark cursed, slamming his meaty fists through the makeshift table. Debris of plywood and scrap metal covered the cement floor as it was destroyed. Mark ignored the mess, his rage blinding him to anything else but the hate bubbling inside.

There was an acute stabbing pain in his palm and he saw that he had cut himself during his rant. Mark swore and pulled off his shirt one handed and placed it over his hand to stop the bleeding. His blood lust had left him the moment he saw his own blood falling to the ground.

"Goddammit." He sighed and reached down to grab the First Aid kit off the floor and headed to a sink. He turned the tap and threw his t-shirt away so he wouldn't be tempted to use it again and contaminate the cut.

He put his hand under the tap, the cold water cooling off the heat radiating from the wound. The cut wasn't deep but it would take a few days to heal. He stretched for a towel while his hand stayed under water. With a groan, Mark turned off the tap and wrapped the towel around his hand before the cut could start bleeding again. Already the blood flow was slowing, all he needed to do now was disinfect and bandage it properly. He looked around his makeshift base with a frown. Mark had destroyed the only table and now had nowhere to use the First Aid kit. He maneuvered himself over to his metal chair and set the kit on the seat then kneeled down in front of it. Using his injured fist to hold down the kit Mark used his other hand to open the kit and search for the necessary items.

Nearby a phone rang. Mark ignored it and continued to wrap his cut. He was familiar with the tone and knew that it was actually the fax and not the telephone that was ringing. Sure enough a few seconds later he could hear the sound of paper going through the machine as it printed off the message. Mark bandaged his cut and waited until the fax machine's timer went off indicating that the fax had finished printing.

Satisfied with his work Mark closed the kit and tossed it into the sink and walked in the child's bedroom that he had converted into his communications center. Tele wires and electrical cords littered the floor connecting monitors to computer screens and landlines placed around the room. Mark continued passed the computers and phones to the fax that had come in.

His grin returned as he grabbed the paper and scanned the contents. Once again his Providence contact had come through for him. Mark made a mental note to add a bonus to the guy's payoff for really going out of his way to give Mark this information. He scanned the fax again to make sure he retained the contents to his memory and dug into his pocket to pull out his lighter and set the paper aflame. He held the paper out for a moment, watching the paper burn before dropping it into a metal trash bin then pulled out a prepaid cellphone from the depths of his jacket. He sent a text confirming that he had received the fax then proceeded to pull out the battery and break the phone in half. He was about to toss it in after the fax, but thought better of it and carelessly threw it onto the nearest table and placed the aluminum lid over the trash bin before the flames got out of hand.

Mark flexed his hands testing the hold of the bandages. There as a slight sting as pressure pushed down on the cut but Mark could easily block out the pain. He crossed over to the main room and stood with his fists on his hips as he looked at the arsenal in front of him. Stacks of ammunition lay next to their guns in weapon ready clips near to high-velocity arrows and metal crossbows hung near to climbing gear stared back at him waiting to be used.

Mark selected the crossbow and a sling of arrows now that he knew that he was going to have a small delay in his plans and that meant he would need to practice.

After all, according to his contact, he wasn't the only one who needed time to heal.


	8. Seven

Taking several deep breaths Rex held it then tensed his legs and quickly swinging them over the side of the bed. He exhaled at the lack of pain he had expected in his muscles as they protested against the motion. Rex smiled in triumph as he was able to plant his bare feet on the floor without pain. He sighed and wiggled his bare toes, enjoying the cold touch of the floor tile on his skin. It was a nice change after feeling overheated by the hospital sheets for the last sixty odd hours.

Two and a half days in the sick ward was two days too long in Rex's opinion. The sooner he could prove to Holiday that he was able to move on his own, the sooner she would release him. At least that was the plan.

His legs tingled as they were put back to use. He stood, the motion causing the urge to stretch. Rex raised his arms over his head and leaned to the side, reveling in the sensation of muscles elongating after being restricted for so long. There was a pull in his right calf and he doubled over, hissing at the unexpected pain. Rex clutched his leg feeling tense and alert as he waited for the ache to pass.

"You gotta take it slow, dude," Noah said from the doorway.

Rex jumped and looked at Noah over his shoulder, acknowledging the older teen. Rex resettled himself on the bed and studied his friend; maybe he wasn't as well as he thought if Noah, who usually made a lot of noise when he moved, could sneak up on him. Perhaps he was just rusty not having practiced as in two days; Rex made a mental note to have Six help him brush up on his ninja skills when he got out.

Rex pushed thoughts of Six away and tried to focus on Noah. He was still standing in the doorway, leaning against one side, looking as though he wasn't sure he wanted to be there. Rex tried not to take it personally. The Hispanic EVO pointed to Noah's neck. "That looks painful."

Noah gently touched his neck with the tips of his fingers. "Yeah, well you should see the other guy." Noah shrugged and tilted his head to the side. "He looks even worse."

Rex's eyes went wide. "Did I do that?" he asked softly. Looking at Noah's neck made him more aware of his own and he shifted to his left, getting back onto the bed so he could face his friend better without straining his neck which he had started to bother him and often did if he turned his head too far, or for long periods of time.

"Don't worry," Noah smiled and pulled out a small bag of throat drops and popped one into his mouth. "It'll heal in a few days and it'll be like it never happened."

Rex thought it would take longer than a few days for Noah's neck to completely heal, more like a few weeks. Perhaps Noah meant the near constant soreness, but Rex wasn't going to push the issue. "What did happen?" He asked instead. "No one's talking to me. They are acting as if I'm the enemy or something."

Noah stared at Rex, saying nothing. Rex felt anger flare within him. "Great, nice talk," he snapped, turning away from his friend.

"You're such a baby." Noah crossed the room and sat on the metal chair next to Rex's bed. "Holiday thinks you were injected with unstable nanites."

"Hmm," Rex frowned, his lower lip protruding in a slight pout as he placed a hand on the back of his neck where the syringe had been.

"I think she's right." Noah agreed, resting his left ankle on his right knee. "I mean what else could make you lash out like that? I've never seen you let that before, it was like it wasn't even you, which I guess it wasn't." Noah sighed in frustration. He licked his lips and wiped his hands on his jeans. "To be honest I was freaked out. Even though I know that you would never hurt me, it was still really scary."

"Oh." Rex balled his hands, gathering fistfuls of the bed sheets.

"No, that's not what I meant to say," he back peddled, searching for the right words. "I mean, I don't know, it was different and new and scary, but I wasn't scared of you, I was scared for you. I know that you pride yourself on being able to control your nanites, so when you did lose control, it was like…I know that you would never hurt me." He repeated lamely.

Rex looked back at his friend; saw the sincerity in his expression and despite Noah's inability to articulate it, the depth of the trust that Noah held for him felt Rex feeling temporarily stunned. Rex couldn't say anything for a moment. He didn't have a response. Even with promise that Noah knew that Rex would not knowingly hurt him, Noah had touched upon something Rex took a lot of time hiding from his friends. It was the thing he feared more than suffering from another bout of amnesia; the truth that it would only be a matter of time before he hurt those he cared about. He knew it wasn't an original fear, most people didn't want to cause harm to their loved ones, but they didn't morph their arms into large metal cannons on a regular basis. The chances of a normal person, a normal human ability to cause as much damage as Rex could was slim and he knew what it meant. Rex acted recklessly at times but he always took great pains to make sure that no one got hurt. It was hard for him to hear that he had failed to control himself. He didn't want to admit it but he was upset. Someone had caught him off guard, made him do things he would not normally do. Trashed his favorite fast food joint. Someone had been able to get to him so easily. He may not know all the details of what had happened that night, but he knew that it had taken something precious from him; Noah's trust. It may not be completely gone, but hearing Noah admit how freaked out he had been, even casually, had shown Rex that he had shaken the trust that they had spent so much time rebuilding after Noah's deal with White Knight had come to light. Rex had let Noah stay in his life, had learned to trust the blonde again and had come to depend on him when he was near, and now Noah had lost faith in Rex.

Rex didn't know where that left the state of their friendship. Part of him wanted to tell Noah to get as far away from him as he could; that he would be safer to break his association in with Rex, but another part of the EVO couldn't bare not having Noah in his life.

He was losing the sensation in his hands and Rex unclenched them from the bed sheets, focusing on the pins and needles feeling in hands as the blood returned.

He heard a slight crunching sound as Noah's chewed on the throat drop. "How are you feeling?" His friend asked, popping another drop in his mouth.

"Cooped up," Rex replied without missing a beat. Noah nodded in understanding.

"I know how you feel, I haven't been home or in school in three days. Protocol," Noah sneered, his nose crinkling as though he smelled something unpleasant.

Rex looked Noah over again and noticed that he was wearing the same green jacket and striped shirt he had been when they snuck out of the base.

"Why are you being kept here? It's not like you can't walk around or call me if something goes wrong."

Noah's eyes widened and Rex knew that Noah had told him something he shouldn't have. "Noah, what is it you're not telling me?"

"Nothing," Noah shifted in his chair. "As I said, I'm fine, but..." Noah drifted off with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Noah," Rex warned, his voice low.

"Promise you won't freak."

"Noah," Rex repeated, giving him no assurance. "What's going on?"

Noah studied him for a moment then sighed. Running a hand through his hair he said. "Apparently my life has been threatened."

"What?" Rex sat up in bed.

"Hey, what did I say about not freaking out?" Noah held up in his hands in caution. "Relax. I wasn't supposed to say anything to you. You need to calm down. If you set off the machines they'll know I've told you."

Rex looked over to the machines monitoring his vitals, they were higher them they had been moments ago. Rex leaned back down and forced himself to calm down, but kept his gaze level with Noah's. He fully expected the blond to explain himself.

"So, after I, ah, persuaded you to your senses I let the agents do their thing when I was attacked by whoever made you turn. Before he could do anything to me I called for Six and the guy took off, but not before telling me that he wasn't done with me yet."

"Goddammit." Rex said, "It's like the whole world is conspiring against me." He forced himself to breathe. "Can you at least tell me how much damage I did?" Rex asked softly, hoping Noah would humor him and answer the question.

If Noah noted the tone he didn't let Rex know, he only nodded his head and dropped his leg to the floor. "You've really outdone yourself, you know?"

"That bad, huh?" Rex felt like a chuckle building up inside of him but forced it down. "Did I hurt..." Rex stared but paused, wondering if he was ready to hear the answer. "Did I hurt anyone?"

"Not badly, a couple of guys were burned, but nothing severe. They're not pressing charges, or Six isn't allowing them to." Noah smiled.

Rex frowned.

"At least my jeep survived." Noah clarified.

"Yeah? That's good." Rex said half-heartedly, not really giving Noah his full attention. He dropped his head and stared at his hands.

 _If I were to wrap my hands around Noah's throat would my fingers fit the bruises around his neck?_ Rex thought grimly. He heard Noah's voice and returned his attention to the blonde, banishing his thoughts.

"Hmm?"

"I asked if you were okay. You were zoning out." Noah commented, concern filling his eyes. He shifted in his chair. Rex watched as his eyes looked to the door and felt a stab of loneliness. "Maybe I've kept you up for too long. You need your rest."

"No, I don't what you to go." Rex blurted out, a blush growing over his face.

Noah's eyes returned to Rex and smiled warmly at his injured friend. "Don't worry, I'm stuck here, same as you."

00000

"He's not ready. Six. He's not ready." Holiday chided, dogging Six's step as the agent made his way past the air hangar. "It's so obvious that he isn't ready. Rex has sustained a complete takeover and malfunction of his nanites. His body needs time to recover. It's too soon to let him into the field. We don't even know what triggered his reaction. What if it happens again in the middle of a populated area? What's stopping Rex from hurting innocent people?"

"I am. I will take care of it."

Holiday scoffed. "Oh, really? How like you took care of it last time by having Zeta take him out?"

Six stopped in his tracks. "That's not what happened. I tried to stop Project Zeta from happening."

"No, Noah stopped it from happening and almost died because of it."

She saw Six's jaw clenched at her words and knew she had hit a cord. She sighed and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder. "Listen Six, as his doctor-"

"And as his guardian, I have made my decision. Don't think for one second that I haven't weighed all the options before coming to my decision. He needs to get back out there. He needs to see that none of us blame him for what happened. Everyone's become afraid of him since the incident and he's feeling isolated. He has to get back out there and see that things are back to normal."

"By having him fight?"

"For Rex fighting is normal. It's his job. It's his life." Six stated. "Besides the attack happened when Rex was injected with a foreign substance, right? The chances that he'll be injected again are slim." Six paused and moved a hand under his glasses so he could rub his eyes. "Look, he's going to find out about Noah sooner or later and I don't know about you, but I would rather it was later. Because when he does he's going to want to do something about it."

"So you think distracting him with work is going to make him worry less about the people he cares about? How does that usually work?"

"Not very well," Six admitted his deep tone pregnant with meaning.

The two adults stared at each other, gauging their conviction against the other.

Eventually, Holiday sighed and pulled away from him, letting her hand drop. "You better know what you're doing."

Six caught her hand in mid-air and held it. "You have known me for a long time. What do you think?"

She didn't reply as the Sixth Deadliest Human on Earth gave her hand a gentle squeeze before releasing her and wordlessly, headed down the hall.

00000

"Do you know when you will be released?"

"No more than you know when you will."

"Protocol." They said in unison and laughed.

Rex blinked in surprise as Noah visibly jumped in his seat, startled by the unmistakable beeping of someone signaling an ear pod coming from the depths of his jeans.

Noah grimaced at his reaction and leaned back in his chair, digging into his pocket and pulled out Rex's ear pod. Putting it near his head Noah activated the commlink. "Nixon residence," Noah said lightly, winking at Rex.

Rex snickered and watched Noah's eyes dance in amusement. The smile in his eyes faded as Noah focused on the call. "Yeah, I'm in my room. Safe under lock and key."

Rex gave him a questioning look.

Noah mouthed the word 'Six' and Rex nodded in understanding. He was familiar with Six's show of concern. The hourly check-ins and the surprise visits to his room to make sure Rex was playing nice and not breaking out and causing trouble. Though over the years Six had become more lax, which meant he had Rex call in every couple of hours instead of every hour. It had been a never-ending battle ever since Rex had first joined Providence. Rex grinned at the memory.

"Oh, you're in my room right now?" Noah's face flashed in surprise but he recovered, smoothing over his features. "Well, that's odd, because I don't see you. Are you sure you're on the right floor? I know how easy it is to get confused." Noah stiffened, the humor dropping from his voice. "No, sir, I don't take you for a fool. I was only asking if-"

"I don't care what you were asking. I'm telling you saying that you are in one place when, clearly, you are in another is not in your best interests right now." Six warned from the doorway.

"Sorry, Six," Noah apologized, hanging his head in shame.

Six's expression softened at the sight. "I know you think I'm being-"

"Insufferable," Noah supplied, lifting his head slightly.

"Overprotective," Six continued, ignoring Noah's outburst. "But trust me when I tell you that this is for the best." Six's head tilted down as he looked to Rex briefly before returning his shaded gaze to Noah. "Until I can verify that your wounds from the fight are no longer an issue, you have to stay in Providence."

"That's it," Rex shouted. He was tired of being ignored. He felt both sets of eyes on him. "Was that supposed to be some kind of code about Noah's death threat?" He asked, giving Six an incredulous look. "'Cause I have to say that was pretty lame, Six. Even if Noah hadn't already told me about it I would have figured something was going on. You really need to work your innuendo."

Six raised an eyebrow, considering Rex's words. "I had a feeling you wouldn't be able to hide it from him." Six said almost to himself. To Rex, he asked, "You ready to get back to work?"

"Work? Are you kidding? I was born ready." This was what Rex had been waiting for. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the worry in Noah's expression, and for a moment he thought to ignore the teen's concern, but then said the thing he knew the both of them were thinking. "What does Holiday say? Am I being officially released?"

"Yes." 

Rex didn't miss the fact that Six didn't answer his first question, but pushed the thought out of his mind and towards a more pressing thought. "And Noah?" He left the rest of the question go unsaid; he knew that Six would understand what he was asking. Will Noah still be under quarantine or can he come too?

Rex held his breath as Six breathed a heavy sigh and answered Rex's question.

00000

Mark blinked awake after the first ring. He sat up and reached for the cell phone on the pillow next to him. He didn't have to ask who it was there was only one person who had the number.

 _I know what you did_ the text said. _Nice try, son, but your tricks aren't going to work. If you want to do real harm, you'll have to do it up close._

Mark frowned and hit reply.

_I know what I am doing._

_It doesn't look like it._ The texter countered.

 _I've had to account for some setbacks. Don't worry it will happen soon._ Mark quickly typed back, trying his best to sound reassuring. He felt a sudden surge of anger hit him. He couldn't believe he was being scolded so far into his contract. It wasn't as if setbacks weren't a normal occurrence. Mark knew what he was doing. He would get the job done.

_I'll be watching._

Mark pulled the phone away and scrolled up to the top of the messages. The first text had been sent two minutes ago. Who knew so much damage could be done in such a short time? Mark tossed the phone on the bed and rubbed his face with his hands feeling alert and drained at the same time. It was how he always felt after communicating with his "boss."

Mark got to his feet and jumped on the balls of his heels thrice then fell to the floor and began doing pushups in an attempt to burn up the nervous angry energy that had built in him. He had a job to do and he needed to be able to focus on it without worrying about style points.

00000

"Oh, hey, I grabbed these from your room," Noah admitted, pulling out a pair of Rex's gloves.

"What were you doing in my room?"

"Oh, um. It's where I've been staying." Noah stated, growing slightly pink in the face. "You know because I figured if I had to be cooped up it might as well be in someplace I like."

The two friends exchanged a look as Rex reached out and grabbed it, their fingers touching as Rex took his gloves back. The Hispanic EVO broke his eye contact with Noah as he swiftly placed the leather gloves over his hands with practiced ease. The part of him that had been upset during the exam with Kevin was now knotted up, as though his stomach was twisting upon itself, though Rex had to admit it wasn't a wholly unwelcomed feeling.

He was further distracted by a call on his cell and saw the grim face of Six begrudgingly hugged a grinning Rex staring up at him on his Caller ID. "Hey, Six." Rex deliberately turned his back on Noah, so the blond wouldn't see his face still reacting to the knowledge that Noah had been sleeping in his bed. "Where do you need me?"

00000

With his most brilliant smile plastered on his face, Rex turned back to Noah. "You'll be all right by yourself?"

Noah hesitated, his expression dark and full of unspoken rebuke, he knew Rex's need to get out of these white halls outweighed his any logic his friend could throw at him about how dangerous it was for him to be going back to work after only three days after his attack. But one look into the Hispanic teen's eager face and Noah felt his resolve fade into nothing. With a soft smirk, he nodded his blond head and got to his feet, the smile growing into a full blown smile as Rex promised to be back soon.

"I know you will. Knock them dead, man."


	9. Eight

Rex pulled at the sleeves of his jacket feeling more like his old self than he had in the last 36 hours. The thrill of the job buzzed inside him and the only thing that would have made the mission better was if Noah was with him. Neither of them was surprised when Six told them, no, but it still sucked to hear.

Noah had taken the news better than Rex. He had started to argue with Six until the blond teen put a hand on Rex's shoulder and squeezed down hard. The pressure wasn't enough to hurt the EVO but it did make him pause.

"It's all right," Noah said, removing his hand. "I would only get in the way."

"No, you wouldn't."

"Yes, I would and you know it." Noah moved from Rex's side to stand in between him and Six. He looked at Rex with fierce determination. "With the threat against me, I would only be a liability. This EVO attack or any EVO attack that calls you out could be used as an opportunity the guy needs to try and take me out again. Knowing that I could be in danger would only divide your focus between doing your job and worrying about me. I don't want that; I don't need it. What I do need is for you to do what you do best, Rex, and go, save the day. You can always come back and save me later."

"He has a point," Six's deep baritone confirmed.

Rex saw the small grin on Noah's face at the unexpected support. The smile made Rex suddenly feel childish and he squared his shoulders in resignation. Slowly he lifted his gaze from the blond to look at Six. "Okay, let's go."

00000

"How you holding up, kid?" Bobo asked, checking the safeties on his blasters.

Rex looked away from the airship window to his sidekick. "Spoiling for a fight," Rex answered, clenching his hands into fists in enthusiasm.

"Afraid you'll be rusty?" Bobo smirked.

Rex mocked hurt, feeling his confidence swell. "I can't believe you asked me that. If you doubt my natural skills, I don't think I can go on." He placed the back of his hand on his forehead and feigned a swoon as if the idea of someone thinking he wouldn't be at his best was too much for his brain to handle.

Bobo chuckled and holstered his gun. "Ah, you're all right."

Rex's brows knitted together and his mouth puckered. Was Bobo trying to cheer him up? A wave of affection spread over Rex at Bobo's concern and his face broke out into a smile. "Thanks, Bobo, I didn't know you cared."

"You must have lost a few screws while you were doing your bug zapper impression if you think I was concerned about you." The primate made a face. "Don't get me wrong, it's not like I was worried about ya or nuttin', I just wanted to make sure that your head was in the game so I don't accidentally shoot you because you got in my way."

Rex laughed. "Don't worry I won't make that mistake again."

His reply seemed to satisfy Bobo as the chimp nodded and then promptly picked his nose. Order restored between the EVOs Rex leaned back into his chair and dug his gloved hands into his pockets. A shiver went up his spine as he felt something in his pocket. Grabbing whatever it was Rex pulled his hands out and opening his fist to a handful of Noah's throat drops. His eyebrows knitted in confusion at the sight. How did these get in my pocket? The only thing he could think of was Noah must have worn his jacket while he was laid up in Providence. The thought made Rex's face go hot. Why would Noah wear my jacket? Rex thought. He was tempted to call to find out but the airship pilot's voice came over the PA system telling them they were approaching their destination.

00000

"He's a big fella, isn't he?" Bobo asked no one as he dodged a slime covered tentacle.

"We've fought much bigger and more slimier and come out on top," Rex commented confidently as he built his BFS.

"I didn't say that we weren't going to win," Bobo snapped at his EVO friend. "I was only pointing out the guy's size," Bobo finished changing his blasters' battery packs.

Rex looked over at the primate and smirked. "How about we give them the old one-two?" he suggested.

"Sounds like a winning combination." Bobo agreed and jumped on Rex's shoulders before launching himself into the air. Rex built his BFS and sliced the nearest tentacle. It fell from the main body and Bobo blew the tentacle into smaller pieces with is blasters. They wiggled and squirmed on the ground before going still and disintegrated harmlessly into the air. They continued this routine, Rex severing tentacles and Bobo blasted them into oblivion until the EVO was half its size. Rex paused to take a victory break when he was backhanded into the side of the parked car by one of the few remaining tentacles.

"No me gusta…" he moaned, slowly getting to his feet.

Bobo landed on the roof of the same car. "Well at least it is 'fun sized' now," he said sarcastically.

"I don't see what's so fun about it," Rex remarked, rubbing his cheek where it has smashed into the car.

"How about you two quit commentating and do your jobs?" Six ordered, slicing off the remaining tentacles.

"Yeah, that sounds good," Rex replied and regained his baring. He pulled down his goggles and cracked his knuckles. Placing his hand on the EVO Rex activated his nanites for the first time in days. It felt good, made him feel normal as the micro machines did their job and shut down the contaminated nanites and restored the EVO into the octopus it once was. Rex stepped back and it was a very anticlimactic end and not the huge mega fight that Rex was hoping for, but a victory was a victory, and it was a job well done.

He left the cleanup to the rest of Providence to deal with, eager to get back to base and tell Noah about his triumphant return to the battlefield.

00000

Mark's phone pinged as a new text message came in. The contract killer paused in cleaning the shaft of his pistol to dig out the disposable cellphone from his back pocket and opened the text. It was from his Providence contact.

_Target 1 is in field_

_Target 2 remains HQ_

_?_

The question mark was a request for an order on what to do next. Mark didn't hesitate to respond.

_Target 2 is yours. Confirm when done._

He had hoped to deal with the blond himself, but after the conversation with his client, he knew he needed to dispatch with the blond distraction quickly if he was to finish the job. Plus he was always one for the personal touch, but he had never been disappointed by his contact. He knew the job would be done.

Once the text was sent Mark felt lighter as if the update had helped him refocus and with a renewed sense of purpose he pocketed the phone and reached for his pistol.

00000

Noah grunted in frustration as he flipped through the TV channels. None of them were broadcasting the EVO alert. "Come on," he said and winced as he accidentally bit down on the throat drop in his mouth. "Ow, dammit," he swore as he clamped down on the inside of his mouth.

He lightly rubbed his cheek with the tip of his tongue as he scanned the news networks, hoping to catch some footage of the fight. He was nervous for his best friend. Even though he had confidence in Rex winning, he still worried if Rex was returning to work too soon and wouldn't be able to win without injuring himself first.

Noah lightly touched his bruised throat and wondered how Rex was doing. There still wasn't any coverage about the EVO attack on any of the news stations and instead of letting the lack of news bother him he tried to remain positive. No news is good news, he thought and turned to TV a classic football game on the Sports Network and tossed the remote next to him on the bed. He zoned out to the sound of the game while trying to convince himself that there was nothing wrong. He must have dozed off after a while because he woke up to the sound of an official's whistle. He sat up and checked the time. He had slept for half an hour. Noah checked his phone; there were no missed calls or new texts from Rex. He shoved the phone back into his pocket and searched for a cough drop, but he couldn't find one. He grabbed his own jacket and searched through those pockets; nothing. That's when Noah remembered he had been wearing Rex's jacket when a Medical Aide had given him the sore throat drops. Heat flooded his cheeks as he realized that Rex now had his jacket back.

"Maybe he won't even check his pockets." He mused out loud and for a wild moment he believed it but then reality set in and he knew he just knew Rex would find the package of the cherry lozenges and figure out Noah had been wearing his jacket and would want to know why.

Noah buried his head in his hands. It had been a foolish moment of weakness when he had visited Rex and stolen his jacket. He had told himself he had done it as a favor to Rex. He was going to keep it safe for him and return the red and orange jacket when Rex recovered.

But really Noah had taken it for a different reason.

He held so much respect for Rex, especially after Rex had wanted to remain friends after he had learned White Knight had hired Noah to befriend Rex. That respect grew into admiration as they continued to hang out and eventually Noah found himself quite enthralled with Rex. And although there was always an element of danger when he was never Rex, the EVO and his special abilities were always there to get them out of trouble besides it happened so often that Noah had begun to see the fun in battling gigantic EVOs.

Noah had come to rely on Rex in a way he didn't think he could rely on anyone. And as crazy as it sounded Noah attributed Rex's jacket to safety because it reminds him of Rex and all the times that Rex had been there for him. The odd thought brought a smile to the blond's face.

Noah looked towards the door as it clicked open and a woman wearing the grey smock of a medical aid came in.

"And how are we feeling today, Mr. Nixon?" she asked in a professionally kind voice.

"Not bad," Noah replied, adopting her overly polite tone.

He watched her as she reached for his chart hooked on the foot of his bed. "Well, it looks like you are recovering rather nicely." She made her way over to him and said with an approving nod as he looked over his stats. "I think I can change that," she said and smashed the side of Noah's face with the back of the clipboard. Noah fell back onto the bed the sting of the hit. He wasn't given a moment to recover when he felt hands around his neck and pressure on this throat. It was like a nightmare and the worst sense of déjà vu he had ever experienced. The shock of being attacked left him stunned for a moment. He gasped for air and tried to fight back but soon his throat and chest burned and tears blurred of the image of the woman strangling him.

He could feel himself grow weak when she was suddenly gone and a familiar shade of chestnut brown came into view.

"Noah, can you hear me? Dammit. Noah!"

There was heavy pushing against his chest followed by something warm and wet pressed against his lips and then a rush of hot air entered his mouth and into his lungs. Eagerly he swallowed the fresh oxygen and he felt less dizzy. He was rolled over onto his side as he started dry coughing and gasping for breath.

"Oh thank God you're alright." Kevin gasped in relief. "If you had died Rex would have my head," he said with a joking smile.

Noah wiped the tears out of his eyes and focused on the doctor. "Yeah, probably." A chuckle bubbled out of Noah's throat followed by another fit of coughing.

Both of their heads snapped to the side as they heard a moan from the floor. The would-be assassin was regaining consciousness. Kevin's face grew serious. "Pardon me for a moment, Noah," he excused himself and leaned in close to the teen.

"What are you?" Noah started but Kevin reached up and activated the Crash button, alerting the rest of the Providence Medical staff. The bright white lights in the room dimmed and were replaced with blue emergency lights that flashed urgently. Goosebumps appeared over Noah's arms as an alarm blared out. He covered his ears with his hands and closed his eyes, hoping to dull the sensory overload.

He cringed and jumped when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see the familiar red and orange biker jacket. "Rex!" Noah shouted. His voice was drowned out from the alarm.

The Hispanic EVO clutched onto Noah's arm forcing him to stand up. "Follow me!"

Noah nodded and did as he was told. Rex was leading him to the door Noah took one last look at the room. He saw his would-be killer swarmed by Providence Agents. He turned away when Rex's grip on him tightened, the sound of the woman's screams ringing in his ears as loud as a siren's blare.


	10. Nine

Rex didn’t let go of Noah’s arm until they had reached the elevator. “Are you hurt? Let me look at you,” The EVO commanded, running his hands over Noah’s arms and chest, looking for injuries on the shorter teen. He froze when he realized he was pretty much manhandling Noah and dropped his hands. His eyes lingered on the reddening ring around Noah’s neck before flicking up to meet the blond’s tear streaked eyes. “You okay?”

“I think so,” Noah started, but when he swallowed a coughing fit overcame him. 

Rex reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a few of the cough drops he had discovered earlier. “Here,” he said offering them to the blond.

Wordlessly Noah grabbed one, tore off the wrapper, and popped it into his mouth. The sides of his cheeks hollowed out as he sucked on it. Rex felt himself breathe a bit better as Noah’s pained face relaxed as the lozenge soothed his throat. “Thanks.”

“Welcome,” Rex replied, pocketing the rest of the drops. He still wanted to talk to Noah about them, but now wasn’t the time. “I knew you should have come with,” Rex stammered while he used his free hand to punch the floor number button. Noah noticed that it was the floor that Rex’s private rooms were in. 

“Oh really?” Noah asked, ignoring the burn in his throat as his rage and amusement replaced any pain. “You knew that I would be attacked again and almost strangled again, and you didn’t think to tell me?” he hissed in a hushed tone. His raspy voice made his words come out uneven as the strain took its toll on Noah. “Because a little heads up would have been nice.”

“No, sorry, that’s not what I meant.”

Noah waved his apology away his shoulders sagging as he grew tired of the conversation. “So how’d the mission go?” Noah promptly changed the subject. He could feel his temper simmer as Rex’s face flush with embarrassment. 

Rex shrugged much more interested in Noah’s health and safety than he was about recounting his successful mission. Besides by this point, Rex’s triumphant return to the front lines was tainted with the attempt on Noah’s life.

The boys remained quiet for a moment, neither knowing quite what to say. Rex busied himself with watching the number increase as they traveled up towards Rex’s room. He glanced over when Noah raised a hand to his throat and pressed on his collarbone gently as he swallowed. The sight made him angry. Noah didn’t deserve this, none of this. He wouldn’t be this messed up if it wasn’t for me. Maybe we shouldn’t- Rex cut the thought short. There was no way he was going to entertain the idea of not being friends with Noah. He suspected -- he hoped that Noah felt the same way. Rex let his hope fester until it became a truth that he could cling to. He was too afraid to ask Noah what he thought and risk the blond throwing reason into the mix as he so often does. 

Rex was grateful when the elevator dinged and the doors opened, ending the most awkward elevator ride of all time. 

Noah walked ahead of him. Rex tried not to read too much into that. 

A sense of peace came over Rex as he entered his room. He was home surrounded by the things he cared about most in his life and at the moment that definitely included Noah.

Without waiting for Rex’s permission Noah gingerly crawled into Rex’s bed, his back to the wall and kicked off his shoes. It was a familiar gesture as if he had done it many times before. Rex wondered just how often Noah had been in his room while he was away. Rex felt his chest and head warm with pride. His bedroom was his sanctuary and he was glad that Noah seemed to find it just as comforting as he does.

Rex snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Noah pressing his hand to his collarbone again. 

“Do you think Kevin is going to be okay?” he asked. Even with his sore throat hushing his voice Rex could still detect the concern in Noah’s question. “He saved me,” Noah whispered to himself. He drew up his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. 

Rex couldn’t help but notice how tired Noah suddenly looked. He squashed down any jealousy that might have cropped up and took a seat on the edge of his bed. He turned to face Noah. He thought about placing a reassuring hand on Noah’s arm but resisted. Besides, he was too far away for Rex to reach he would probably end up holding his foot or something, embarrassing them both.

“I’m sure Kevin is fine. He’s a Providence Agent as well as a Bio-Chem robotic engineer doctor dude. He can handle himself.” Noah nodded weakly and then rested his forehead on the top of his knees. Rex could see his chest expand as he exhaled heavily. “If you want I can go check on him,” he offered. Immediately Noah’s arm shot out as he reached for Rex’s gloved fingers. 

“No, that’s okay,” Noah stammered. It looked like he was about to say something more but seemed hesitant to continue.

“Noe?”

“Hm?” Noah’s lower lip disappeared into his mouth as he chewed on it nervously. “I know that this is going to sound childish, but could you stay with me?”

“Yeah, sure. Of course. You didn’t even need to ask.” Rex tried to smile reassuringly at Noah and somehow managed it. 

“You know when you told me to come back and save you, I didn’t think you meant that quite so literally.”

“What did you think I meant? Spiritually?” Noah asked with a side smirk. 

“Maybe, you don’t know.” Rex joked back and this time his smile came easily to him. It disappeared when a two-toned beep sounded in his ear. Rex held up his hand silencing Noah and with the other, he gestured to the side of his head. “Go ahead.” He said clearly.

“Rex. It’s Holiday. Is Noah safe?”

“How did you-” Rex started but Holiday cut him off with a huff of breath. 

“Please give me some credit, Rex. Where else would Noah be?” Holiday asked incredulously, but Rex could only hear “Who else would he be with?” Rex wasn’t sure what to do with that thought so he pushed it away in favor of answering Doctor Holiday’s first question. He took a moment to look over Noah. He had relaxed his hold on his knees as he leaned against the wall at the head of the bed. His eyes were half closed and his head dipped forward slowly as he lost the battle with sleep. Rex lingered on the blond’s bruised throat before frowning and looking at the floor. “A little worse for wear, but still kicking,” he answered with a whisper.

Apparently, his tone wasn’t reassuring enough, because she asked if Noah wanted her to come to where they were and run a full check on him. Rex looked up when he felt Noah’s body shift and discovered the blond had curled up on the bed, napping on his side. “Maybe later, doc. He needs his beauty sleep.”

“Alright, Rex, as long as you are sure.” He could practically hear her nodding her head. “You’re in your room?”

“Yeah,” Rex confirmed, suddenly feeling tired. “I’ll ring you when he wakes so you can check on him.”

“Good you should stay with Noah.”

“Of course. I’m not going anywhere.” Rex felt a welt of guilt bloom in his chest as he made the promise to remain in his room. It may be a bit of paranoia on his part but he couldn’t help thinking Holiday suspected where Rex really wanted to be, in whatever cell Six had stored Noah’s attacker. If Six were smart they weren’t still in the building but as far as they could get from HQ otherwise they would be in serious trouble if Rex caught sight of them. He knew it wasn’t a smooth move but it was what he wanted. Just a few moments alone with the Providence turncoat so he could teach them how stupid their and as a warning for anyone else who would ever make the mistake of hurting Noah. 

“Good,” Holiday agreed and Rex quickly ended the call before he could say anything that would give away his thoughts. It was then that he remembered he should have asked Holiday what was going on her side of things and how Kevin was doing, but he didn’t feel like calling her back. Besides he could ask for an update when she came to check on them. 

Rex plucked the comlink out of his ear and placed it in his jacket pocket. If anyone wanted to get a hold of him they would have to call his cell phone. He pulled off the jacket and was about to toss it over to his desk when he remembered something. He flipped the jacket over and dug into the opposite pocket and pulled out a few more throat drops. Rex stared at them for a moment before dropping his jacket onto the floor next to the bed. 

Still, at the foot of his bed, Rex pressed his back against the cool white wall and crossed his legs over the length of the mattress. He looked to his sleeping friend and blame swelled in his chest. Was he ever going to be able to look at the blond without seeing the bruises on his neck? Even when he was healed and healthy, Rex was fairly sure the memory would never completely fade. 

Crossing his arms over his lap Rex could feel his nanites drum with activity. He was still wired after his mission and the attack on Noah. He knew the buzzing wouldn’t last long. Now that Noah was safe his excited nanites would run out of juice and he would crash into a wall of exhaustion. He didn’t want that to happen. He wanted to stay awake and focused, ready for anything in case he needed to be. He bowed his head and forced himself to take calming breaths. He fell asleep seconds after closing his eyes. 

00000000

“I’ll ask again, who hired you?” Six demanded. His stoic voice cut through the blinding light of the interrogation chamber. He squinted down at the silent woman across from him and was grateful for his shades. Even with his eyewear, it was difficult to see more than two feet in front of him the glare was so intense. He could only imagine how painful it was to sit in this room without any protection as the bright light bounced off every surface. We’ve only been in here for a few minutes and already I have a headache. Six wanted to get this over with as soon as possible, not only to get out of this room but to finally get to the bottom of Noah’s attacks. 

“Taylor.” Six prompted when the agent remained quiet, her head bowed and eyes closed, not that it would be enough to shut out the light. Six leaned back in his chair and decided to change tactics. “Amanda,” he said, making his voice warmer than usual. 

Agent Taylor squirmed uncomfortably in her chair at the sound of her first name, and for once Six was glad to have a reputation of being a cold unfeeling Providence drone. It was obvious she was expecting him to pressure her into giving up her employer but hadn’t expected him to be kind. He might be able to use that against her. It was worth a shot. 

“There’s a part of me that understands not wanting to rat out your employer, but loyalty can only go so far. You may be honor bound to them but I guarantee that loyalty is one-sided.” Six leaned forward slightly when Taylor shook her head, it was a quick nervous motion and Six knew he was starting to get to her. He just needed to push her a little more. “You know as well as I do what happens next. You think they will protect you from Providence? You are dead wrong. Are you willing to risk your life for a hollow promise?”

There was a rattling noise as the handcuffs binding Taylor to her chair shifted. Six looked down to see that Taylor’s hands had balled into fists. He arched an eyebrow at her reaction. She really didn’t think whoever put her up to this actually cared for her, did she? 

Suddenly she relaxed her grip and leaned back in the metal chair. “What makes you think I was working for someone?” she sneered.

Six frowned as if displeased, but he knew better. She was giving more information by not directly answering his questions. He hoped she would continue to evade him while he steadily pried the answers from her. “Are you admitting you were acting alone?” Six countered. He needed to get this over with before Rex cut his way in here threatening to sever her head and other parts of her anatomy from her body.

Taylor didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. Six was familiar with Taylor’s background. She had been with Providence for a long time. She had fought alongside him and White, back in the days when Providence held a no tolerance policy when it came to dealing with EVOs, even ones who could control their nanites.

Noah’s attacker leaned back in her chair and sucked on her teeth but remained silent.

“Why do this?” Six asked keeping his voice low and monotone. “Amanda, I just want to understand how you could hurt someone you took an oath to protect.”

Taylor snorted and shook her head. “He’s not worth protecting,” she corrected.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Care to expand on that?”

“Because the only good EVO is a dead one and that goes double for EVO lovers!” Taylor suddenly ranted, pulling against her restraints. The handcuffs dug into her wrists leaving rings of bruised flesh around them.

Surprised anger rose inside Six, but he squashed it with a wave of numbing calm before it could register on his face. It was a trick which took years of training to cultivate, but was very useful when confronted with those aspects that made his job difficult -- and dealing with traitors was definitely in the top ten of that list of things that made his job difficult. 

What made it worse is that Six didn’t know where this zealous talk was coming from. The Amanda Taylor he knew had fought alongside was a compassionate person who always wanted to do the right thing, the humane thing. What could have happened to her to change her into someone who attempted murder on innocent civilians? It was hard to believe she was some anti-EVO fanatic. Providence screened for that kind of mentality, though obviously, it wasn’t a fool-proof system. 

“What happened to the boy?” Agent Taylor asked.

The request threw Six for a moment but he recovered quickly. He wasn’t sure if he should answer her but knowing that the part of him that was fond of Noah won out, he wanted her to know she had failed in her mission. 

“Alive and well,” Six replied unable to hide his satisfied smirk.

 

000000

“I don’t see anything that time and rest couldn’t cure,” Doctor Holiday pronounced. “If you are having any trouble sleeping I could get one of the nurse practitioners to prescribe you something.”

“If it’s anything stronger than chamomile tea than I’ll pass if that’s okay,” Noah answered.

Rex stirred at the ring of Noah’s voice. He didn’t sound as tired as he had before, but he was still miles away from returning to the Noah Rex was familiar with. 

“As long as you are sure, of course, it’s okay,” Doctor Holiday agreed.

“I am,” Noah reassured the doctor. 

There was muffled scratching like pen on paper as Holiday wrote in a file. She was most likely updating Noah’s Providence file. “Alright, I believe that’s it. You are free to go.”

Panic surged through Rex and he woke up with a jolt. Free to go home? It was too soon for Noah to leave Providence. Too soon for Rex to let him out of his sight. “Noah?” he asked, searching the room for his friend.

He was sitting on the couch with his back to Rex. He shifted in his seat so he could turn to look at Rex without having to twist his neck to the side.

“Hey sleeping beauty,” Noah smirked.

“Hey.” Heat spread across his face. He hadn’t meant to fall asleep. He failed to guard Noah while he slept, but Noah didn’t seem to be holding that against him.

“Are you hungry?” Holiday asked them.

“Starved.”

“Starved.”

Holiday smiled as they answered in unison. “I’ll call down to the Mess Hall and see if there’s anything left from dinner.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Rex yawned. He heard a chuckle and looked over to find Noah beaming at him. He returned the smile when he realized he could see the relief in his eyes.

000000

He found out about Agent Taylor from the night edition of Ultimate Exposure! He broke a favorite coffee mug in his rage; shattered pieces of glazed ceramic mug lay scattered throughout the room. It was only a matter of time before Amanda would have been caught anyway. He had hoped it just hadn’t been so soon. The report didn’t give many details and since it was obvious that Amanda wouldn’t be checking in with him anytime soon he concluded that she had failed in her mission and that Noah Nixon was still alive. 

“Unfortunate that,” Mark spoke to himself. “But I guess this means I’ll have Blondie all to myself.” Already thinking up ways to get close to his target Mark went over to the corner and picked up the small trash bin and bent down to collect the shards of the broken coffee mug. Because as eager as he was to start planning his next move his father taught him to clean up his messes and he always took care to listen to his father.


End file.
